He was sailing near the Dominican Republic. Saw 3 “mermaids.” He became excited. His crew became excited. Columbus wrote in his log the sighting of the mermaids.

Not mermaids. Manatees. Fooled Columbus. Believing the manatees to be women, he wrote they were “not half as beautiful” as they should be “as they are painted.”

A long boat ride with solely men not the way to travel!

I spend my tuesdays preparing for my podcast show in the evening. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Generally do not leave the house.

My show is at 9. The President opted to speak to the nation at 9 last night. Probably took most if not all of my listeners away.

I watched the President later in the evening on a rerun. Unimpressive. Totally.

He referred to the southern border as a “growing humanitarian crisis.” I agree. However, he failed to note that it is totally of his making. He is responsible for all the bad occurring.

His 9 minute presentation was totally lacking. He said nothing of any value. The shutdown continues.

Key West is a major Coast Guard station. I was surprised to learn the Coast Guard is not being paid during the shutdown. Persons who save lives and are the U.S.’s first line for interdicting drug smugglers.

Trump complains the migrants are bringing drugs into the U.S. That the opiate problem is of their making. Yet he fails to make sure those who are on the front lines combating the drug problem get paid.

Why no pay for the Coast Guard? The Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force are being paid. Simple. These service people work under the Department of Defense. For some reason, the Coast Guard was placed under the jurisdiction of the Department of Homeland Security when it was formed.

Note the Coast Guard personnel must work. They are deemed “essential.”

Key West can be the wrong place to become seriously sick. Yes, there is a hospital. Well staffed. Professional. However can only do do much. Serious problems require medical personnel with specialized training.

Which means Miami.

The County provides a helicopter service. Two helicopters. Available to residents free. Medical personnel on the helicopters specially trained. I am not sure whether non-residents are required to pay.

In any event, a 47 year old man staying at Boyd’s on Stock Island suffered a massive heart attack January 2. The County’s Trauma Star air ambulance transported him to Miami. He coded 5 times. He was resuscitated 5 times.

Thanks to the helicopter’s availability and the medical personnel working thereon, he is alive today. On January 7, the medical team met with him at the University of Miami Hospital. He is on his way to total recovery.

Trump won with the slogan Make America Great Again. The people bought it. They failed to realize America was still great. Trump has made it less so in 2 years.

There is a movement to Make The Catholic Church Great Again. The National Catholic Reporter carried an article recently on the subject.

The writer wrote there never was a time when the Roman Catholic Church was “great.” He wrote: “It has always been simultaneously holy and sinful because it is composed of imperfect, weak and ordinary human beings like you and me and everybody else.”

I don’t buy it. There was no reason for the Spanish Inquisition of yesterday nor the pedophilia of recent years. Religious people are supposedly better. They are held to a higher standard because of it. There is no excuse for improper conduct.

Rome has failed several times in the history of the Catholic Church. Extremely bad things occurring at the top of the hierarchy and among its priests and nuns.

Pedigree is important. Luke 12:48 tells us “For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required.”

I agree.

On this day in 1776, Thomas Paine published Common Sense. We are taught from the earliest grades that the desire for American independence was influenced by his writings. Many believe Common Sense moved the colonists to war. The American Revolution.

In reality, Paine was a troublemaker. Revolution his thing. Disrupt existing governments.

Sounds familiar as regards some who came to Washington with Trump.

Paine moved to England in 1787. There he wrote words of encouragement for change regarding the monarchy. A particular publication the “Rights of Man.”

England neither liked nor agreed with his thoughts. He had to leave. He fled to France.

It was the best of time, it was the worst of time for Paine to arrive in France in 1790. Revolution was brewing. The Revolution occurred 1791-92.

Paine’s political expressions at some point offended the new government He was arrested for his political opinions.

Paine returned to the U.S. in 1802 where he died in 1809.

Big day ahead. Meeting an old fried for drinks at 4 at Louie’s Backyard. Sons and Daughters of Italy at 5:30. Syracuse basketball with Don, Chris, Dan, Lisa, and John at 8 at Jack Flats.